When Addie was born three months early, she had to spend the next several months in the hospital.  Jpeg, the family’s rescue dog, couldn’t meet her until she came home, so he slept with her swaddling blankets until then.  And now the two can’t be separated.  Just a puppy himself, he is very protective of his fragile little sister, and she is the only one he’ll even give kisses to.

“When she gets sick, he runs over to her.  When she cries, he kisses her.”

Jpeg was adopted from Pregnant Dog Rescue in Pennsylvania by the Durfee family when he was just under three months old.  Not long after, his parents added another baby to the mix – a little girl named Adeline.  But she was 14 weeks premature, and weighing less than two pounds, she had to be kept in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).  She spent the first eight months of her life in the hospital.

So Jpeg was nearly a year old by the time he was finally able to meet his sister.  However, their bonding started as soon as she was born.

“His love for her started even before she came home,” mom Stephanie told The Dodo.  “When she was in the NICU, I would bring home her blanket that she was swaddled in that day, and he would get excited, smell it and sleep on it.”

The tiny baby is still facing some possible undiagnosed medical complications and requires a feeding tube, but Jpeg is never anything but tender with his beloved sister.

“Jpeg was only one when we brought her home, and he was still very much a puppy,” Stephanie said. “The second we came home, he calmed down so much. He is beyond gentle.”

And even more than gentle, Jpeg is very watchful over his charge.  He guards the doorway of any room she is in, and makes sure to put himself between her and any stranger that comes near.  And it’s clear that the love is mutual.

“He is the only one she reaches for.  When he comes near her, she smiles. She may have cerebral palsy, and one of the ways we do physical therapy is I have Jpeg lay a few feet from her, and we work on crawling toward him. When she reaches him, he covers her in kisses and she laughs. Jpeg is not a licker or kisser, except when it comes to Adeline.”

Though one would think a puppy his age would be a bit rambunctious, caring for such a delicate sibling is serious business.

“At doggy day care, he runs with his friends every time they throw the ball, but never goes after it,” Stephanie said.  “He’s not very competitive.”

He’s just got more important things on his mind.  Dogs are incredibly perceptive creatures, and he understands that wee Addie needs his nurturing and protection.  He is her first friend, and hopefully they will share that bond for many years to come.

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According to David Ramirez of the Liberty Humane Society, the pair were spotted traipsing about Jersey City’s Liberty State Park a few days before the storm hit.  When animal control officers attempted to capture them, the black dog allegedly lunged, and the officer shot him in self-defense.

He was not critically injured, and the dogs bolted.  Animal control set up a live trap, and days later, as the area was battered by wind and heavy snowfall, the boys were caught.

“I absolutely believe the two truly needed each other to survive at the time,” Ramirez told ABC News. “With one having been hurt and bleeding and then with the blizzard coming down, there was definitely a time crunch to capture them and get them to medical care.”

The black dog was taken in for surgery, and it was determined that the bullet had exited his neck and didn’t cause any major damage.  They were then put in the care of Liberty Humane Society.  Staff called the black dog Braveheart for his steel nerve, and the brindle dog was called Faithful for the allegiance he showed to his friend.

Workers believe they have such a good rapport because they may be littermates.

“While Braveheart was away, we had a miserable Faithful on our hands,” Ramirez explained. “He was crying relentlessly for Braveheart, and it was immediately obvious how bonded together they were.”

Last week they were reunited, and “everyone could sense their relief when they finally saw each other again.”

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“They’re very well trained,” Ramirez noted. “They knew a lot of commands like sit, stay, down and roll over, so we’re thinking they may have come from the same home. Neither were microchipped.”

The shelter is hoping someone will step up to give them a home together, as it’s obvious that separating them would break their hearts.

“It’s really hard to imagine them without each other at this point, especially after all they have been through,” Ramirez concluded.

If you’re interested in adopting Faithful and Braveheart, please CLICK HERE

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Most heartbreakingly of all, they followed the vehicle for more than 10 miles until they couldn’t run anymore. The footage is so heartbreaking that we couldn’t bear to watch it more than once.

“The dogs seemed very loyal to the owner,” Carlos de Anjos told Globo News. “They followed us almost all the way until the exit to the city. The bigger dog was in front of our car, and the smaller was behind us. They were quite anxious.”

The post When Two Loving Dogs Refused To Leave Their Dead Owner’s Side, Our Hearts Broke appeared first on ILoveDogsAndPuppies.

If this man is ever in danger of drowning for real, he better hope his best pal is around to help!

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